~§~ BIO IN PROGRESS ~§~

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DAR Ancestor #: A215841

Sergeant in 2nd Rhode Island Regiment who where part of the encampment at Valley Forge, under capt William Tews and Col Israel Angell.

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Married, sometime before 1780, Rhoda Lapham, and together were parents to:

- Emer Harris, b. 29 May 1781 Cambridge (Easton), Albany, New York
- Martin Harris, b. 18 may 1783 Easton, Albany [present day Washington], New York [**see also Martin Harris Cenotaph]
- Preserved Harris, b. 8 May 1785 Easton, Albany [present day Washington], New York
- Solomon Harris, b. 18 Mar 1787 Easton, Albany [present day Washington], New York
- Seville Harris, b.~1790 Easton, Albany [present day Washington], New York
- Sophia Harris, b.1792 Easton, Albany [present day Washington], New York
- Lydia Harris, b.~1794 Palmyra, Wayne, New York
- Naomi Harris, b. 5 May 1795 Palmyra, Wayne, New York

In 1793 Nathan moved his family to Palmyra, New York, where he had purchased of John Swift, a six-hundred-acre farm for "two schillings an acre" or about three hundred dollars.

Witnessed the will of Ambrose Hall, 27 Dec 1825, at Palmyra, New York, and was present at the Probate hearing 30 Oct 1827 to confirm the witnessing of the will, and confirm that Ambrose's youngest child Sarah Hall, was born 8 Oct 1827 at his home, also in Palmyra, New York.

About 1831, Nathan & Rhoda migrated westward to Ohio with several other families

Excerpt from the diary of Joseph Smith:
"18 November 1835 • Wednesday
18th at home in the fore noon, untill about 11, oclock. I then went to Preserved Harris's, to preach his fathers funeral Sermon, by the request of the family I preached on the subject of the resurection, the congregation were verry attentive My wife my mother and my scribe went with me to the funeral, we rode in a waggon, had a pleasant ride, the weather was pleasant, when we went. but cloudy and cool when we returned..."

Nathan Harris, father of Preserved and Martin Harris, died the day before at Mentor, Geauga County, Ohio [present day Lake County].

Buried 18 Nov 1835

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Source(s):
- Nathan Harris, Apr 1780; citing Apr 1780, Rhode Island, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,366.
- New York: Abstracts of Wills, Admins. and Guardianships, 1787-1835. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006.) Original manuscript in: Eardeley Genealogy Collection: New York State Abstracts of Wills, Brooklyn Historical Society.
- "Journal, 1835–1836," p. 45, The Joseph Smith Papers,
- Tuckett, Madge Harris, and Belle Harris Wilson. The Martin Harris Story, with Biographies of Emer Harris and Dennison Lott Harris. Provo, UT: Vintage Books, 1983, p. 178.
- Jessee, Dean C., ed. and comp. The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book; Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2002.
- Jessee, Dean C. "The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision." BYU Studies 9 (Spring 1969): 275–294.
- Faulring, Scott H. Early Manuscripts Collection, 1827–1876. CHL. MS 16771.
- Turley, Richard E., ed. Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2 vols. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2002.
- Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.